break off

verb

broke off; broken off; breaking off; breaks off

intransitive verb

1

: to stop abruptly

break off in the middle of a sentence

2

: to become detached

branches that broke off in the storm

3

: to end a relationship

broke off with his business partner

transitive verb

1

: discontinue

break off diplomatic relations

2

: to remove by or as if by breaking

broke off a chunk of bread

Synonyms of break off

• stop
• cease
• end
• halt
• quit
• cut off
• lay off
• knock off
• shut off
• cut out

Examples of break off in a Sentence

the judge broke off court proceedings until after lunch

talks between the two sides broke off when one began making unreasonable demands

Recent Examples on the Web

Ronan Kerr was playing with his father, Cathal, and 7-year-old brother, Charles, at the park on Via Marin on June 29 when a 27-foot branch broke off a eucalyptus tree and fell 60 feet, according to the lawsuit filed in San Diego Superior Court on Tuesday. —Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Nov. 2025

All is quiet while the entire tour group awaits the sound of a large ice chunk breaking off from the glacier's edge, a frequent occurrence known as calving. —Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 10 Nov. 2025

The blast broke off from the polar vortex above Canada, sending the cold air south. —Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 10 Nov. 2025

Investigators found the bodies nearby — Davis and Shelton had been shot, Friedt had been stabbed with a hunting knife whose blade broke off in her chest, and Flemmons died from asphyxiation after suffering blunt-force injuries, per A&E, citing Julie Young’s book The Burger Chef Murders in Indiana. —Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 8 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for break off

• ashraf
• checkoff
• cutoff
• falloff
• handoff
• kickoff
• layoff
• liftoff
• markoff
• markov
• payoff
• playoff

Kids Definition

break off

verb

: to stop suddenly